Types of Disability, Its Causes and Nature
Disability is conceptualised as being a multidimensional experience as it may affect the organs and body parts which hampers a person’s life in many ways.

Types of Disability
There are three types of disabilities which are as follows

[i] Cognitive Disability
The nature of this disability is mental since cognitive domain is related to using mental abilities and achieving results from it.
It is related to impairments in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour. Intellectual functioning means person’s ability to plan, comprehend and reason while adaptive behaviour refers to applying social and practical skills in everyday life. Children suffering from dyslexia, learning difficulties, speech disorders, problem in solving math calculations, short span of attention and short of memory are said to have cognitive disability.
Causes of cognitive disability are as follows

Cognitive impairment may be present at birth and may be genetic or chromosomal or result from complications of pregnancy.
Chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome.
Genetic abnormalities such as phenylketonuria, Hunter syndrome etc.
Prenatal drug and infections and exposure to alcohol.
Lack of oxygen during labour pain or birth.
ii] Intellectual Disability
The nature of this disability is also mental since the intellectual domain is related to using the capacity of the mind. It is a disability characterised by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behaviour. This is characterised by low intelligence quotient score (under 70) and significant problems in the ways learners adapt to new situations. It is different from cognitive because cognitive is a broad concept while intellectual disability is specific in nature.
Causes of intellectual disability are as follows

Genetic Conditions These include things like Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome.
Problems during Pregnancy This can interfere with fetal brain development.
Alcohol or Drug Use may also cause intellectual disability.
Problems during Childbirth Like if a baby is deprived of oxygen during childbirth or born extremely premature.
Illness or Injury Infection like meningitis, whooping cough or measles can lead to intellectual disability. Extreme malnutrition, infections in the brain, exposure to toxic substances such as lead, and severe neglect or abuse can also cause it.
[iii] Physical Disability
The nature of this disability is physical since it relates to physical functioning of the body parts including sense organs.
This refers to the limitation on a person’s physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina. This includes upper or lower limb loss, poor manual dexterity, visual impairment, hearing loss or disability in coordination with different organs of the body. Apart from these, respiratory disorders, epilepsy and sleep disorders are also considered physical disability.
Causes of physical disability are as follows

Illnesses like cancer, heart attack or diabetes cause the majority of long-term disabilities.
Back pain, injuries and arthritis are also significant causes.
Lifestyle choices and personal behaviour that lead to obesity are also becoming major contributing factors.
Musculoskeletal disorders also cause disabilities. Examples include spine/joint disorders, fibromytis etc.
Genetic causes like gene inheritance can cause this disability.
3 Types of Disorder, Its Causes and Nature
A disorder is referred to as a disturbance in physical or mental health or functions that causes dysfunction. Some types of disorder are discussed below

ADHD
[Attention Deficit’ Hyperactivity Disorder]
The nature of this disorder is related to . behavioural changes or disorders. About 10% of school going kids suffer from ADHD,
Boys are more suspectible to this disorder than girls. The common symptoms of this disorder are hyperactivity, trouble focusing on a task, very short span of attention and missing details. . Children with ADHD may understand what’s expected of them but have trouble following the instructions required to complete the task. ‘ Young children mostly act in this way when they are excited or anxious but the difference with ADHD is that these symptoms are present over a longer period of time and take place in different settings. The ADHD disorder affects a child’s academic performance as well as social behaviour. Causes of ADHD are .

Genes and Heredity Genetic inheritance and abnormalities in genes may cause this disorder.
Brain Injury and Epilepsy Children who have had traumatic brain injuries or who have epilepsy can often have ADHD-like symptoms.
Environmental Causes Prenatal exposure to smoke, exposure to high levels of lead as a toddler and preschooler is possible contributor.
SPD [Sensory Processing Disorder]
This is a condition in which the brain has trouble in receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses. The SPD is related to mental nature. There the sensory inputs are not organised by the brain in an appropriate manner.
The common symptoms are showing heightened reactivity to sound, touch or movement. Under-reactive in certain situations example not noticing when name is called, lethargic, disinterested, poor motor skills, lack of attention, impulsive behaviours etc. The SPD interferes with the children’s normal everyday functioning. They also have delayed communication and social skills. SPD also impacts on a person’s ability to interact with different environments. Causes of SPD are as follows

Genetic or hereditary factors such as having a family history of autism, SPD.
Have been understimulated during critical periods of neurological development.
Have been exposed to variety of environmental toxins.
Have food allergies.
Having developmental delays and other , neurological disorders.
ASD [Autism Spectrum Disorder]
The nature of this disorder is related to mental illness which then changes the behaviour. It is a complex .developmental disorder that affects normal brain development. The symptoms of ASD are difficulty in communication and interaction with people. They also have repetitive behaviour patterns like flicking a light switch repeatedly, smelling everything, flipping objects etc.

Children with ASD also have sensory sensitivities such as not using eye contact, confused by language, repeating a word etc. Here the brain does not function in the typical’way due to which they face developmental challenges.. Children and adults with ASD do not acquire good social skills and face many behavioural problems. They often stare at a particular person or object, like a few foods, get over excited by certain sounds etc.
Causes of ASD are as follows

ASD can be the result of heredity factors, genetic differences and genetic mutations.
It can also cause through abnormal mechanisms of brain development and other neurobiological factors.
Environmental factors related to exposure to drugs, toxins like lead, insecticides, hydrocarbons and dietary factors may cause ASD.
ODD [Oppositional Defiant Disorder]
The nature of this disorder is related to social behaviours. This behaviour disorder usually takes place in early teens. Apart from teens, ODD also affects young children especially boys. In children it begins from the age of 8 years. About 2-16% of children are affected by ODD. The main symptoms of ODD are similar patterns of anger, irritable mood, saying hateful things, flaring up at trivial matters, seeking revenge etc.

Here children in their early teens try to defy authority every now and then, they express their defiance by arguing, disobeying, talking back to parents, teachers and other adults. Though this type of behaviour is normally seen among all the teenagers but the difference in ODD is that the behaviour lasts more than 6 months and is excessive in comparison to other children of the same age. This kind of behaviour often disrupts the child’s normal daily activities and hampers academic performance.
Causes of ODD are as follows

Genetics A child’s natural disposition or temperament and possible neurobiological differences in the way nerves and the brain function may cause ODD.
Environment Problems with parenting that may involve a lack of supervision, inconsistent or harsh discipline, or abuse or neglect also cause ODD.
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder]
The nature of this disorder is related to mental illness. This usually takes place in people of middle ages. Males and females both are equally affected by OCD. About 15-20% of the people experience OCD in mild forms. The symptoms of this disorder are people doing repetative behaviours, performing routine tasks over an over again or having certain thoughts repeatedly.

Some examples of this type of disorder are frequent or excessive hand washing, counting to things repeatedly, checking if a door is locked again and again. These activities occur to such a degree that it affects a person’s life negatively. The OCD can become serious and may cause other problems related to mental illness.
Causes of OCD are as follows

Familial Disorder The disorder may run in the family, therefore close relatives of people with OCD are likely to develop it.
Behavioural Causes The behavioural theory suggests that people with OCD associate certain objects or situations with fear and learn to avoid those things or learn to perform rituals in order to help reduce the fear or the stress related to that situation.
Cognitive Causes This happens when people misinterpret their thoughts like the feeling of dirty hands even when they are cleaned many times.
Environmental Causes This means stressful situation present in the environment such as within the family or society that triggers OCD in people.